5.6. Recognizing Problem Behaviors. Slide one. Hello and welcome to this discussion of problem behaviors which can be not only disconcerting in some horses, but downright dangerous at times. We just talked about pastured and stabled horses and some normal behaviors to expect. However, when a horse's needs are not being met, he or she may make an effort to self-soothe, stimulate, expel energy, or seek food or oral stimulation and this can cause problems. In this lesson we'll discuss some of those behaviors and by the end of the lesson you'll be able to recognize a range of problem behaviors and some potential causes. Some of the behaviors we're going to discuss are considered abnormal because they are not typically seen in horses and are of no direct benefit to the horse. However, we need to remember that these abnormal behaviors come from an expression of their natural inclinations. This understanding will help us to remedy the situation and to address the unwanted behavior. A few common behavior problems you might notice in hungry, fearful, or bored horses listed in increasing intensity are, banging at the stall doors with front legs, this often occurs around feeding time. Squealing when contacting new horses, kicking at the stalls with the hind legs, this can also happen during feeding time or happen when a new animal is introduced next door. Knocking and tossing feed buckets, chewing wood, refusing to leave buddies which is known as herd baldness or separation anxiety, rushing back into the stall or barn, this is called the barn sour often indicative that the horse doesn't want to go to work. Pacing, spinning around in circles, bolting at the stall door, the second it is open, pitting ears flatback as you pass by, turning hindquarters to you when you enter the stall, evasive behavior to avoid being caught in the stall. Let's start with refusing to leave buddies and rushing into the barn. These are quite understandable from the horse's perspective. Horses that are herd bound are barn sour are exhibiting behaviors that are understandable but not desirable. Remember, the horse's life revolves around and to some extent depends upon the focal point of being in a herd near shelter, food, and water. This herd bound and barn sour behavior is usually the result of anxiety produced by separation from a group of horses that they are used to being with, separation from a particular buddy, equine or other species, separation from a physical location that represents security, the stall, the barn, or the pasture. Some behaviors have a repeated pattern to them. One example is weaving which is a rhythmic shifting of weight from one front leg to another. Weaving is thought to be a form of separation anxiety and can lead to excessive calorie loss and weight issues. Believe it or not, a plastic mirror placed in the stall can improve weaving in some horses much like it provides companionship to a pet bird. Other repetitive behaviors include head nodding or tossing and cribbing. Cribbing is a common problem behavior well documented in horses either installs or paddocks. This is a repeated motion where the horse makes firm contact with his front teeth on a solid edge, usually a fence or stall, arching the neck and sucking in air into the larynx and pharynx, sometimes the air is swallowed. This may have started as hunger or lack of roughage or a medical condition such as gastric ulcers, and then it can become a habit which may be very difficult to manage or stop. It has also been suggested that horses can learn this habit from a nearby horse performing the behavior. Cribbing is associated with certain types of colic, and horses who do crib will often show excessive wear of their incisors an over-development of the strap musculature around their throat latch. Unwanted aggressive behaviors include striking. When a horse strikes, it uses its front limbs in a swift powerful forward motion to hit the handler or another horse, this can be lower high contact and is very dangerous. Most horses will lean back just slightly before striking but not all, that's why it's very important to never stand directly in front of a horse. Rearing, this action involves the horse's front feet lifting off the ground with their hind limbs planted. The horse can achieve variable height and can gain leverage off the handlers hand. The handler can be struck by the front hooves on the way up or down, and this behavior poses significant risk for head trauma, the handlers should never pull down on the lead when this behavior is occurring. Ideally, some laxity remains in the rope such that the horse is less likely to flip over. Kicking, the horse can produce a forward cow kick or a rear facing kick. The forward cow kick can reach halfway to the shoulder and involves the use of one limb. The hind facing kick can involve one or two limbs, and when it's two limbs, it is known as a double barrel, both are very powerful. Most horses will pin their ears, swish their tail and lower their rump just slightly prior to kicking, but not all. The closer the handler is to the limb, the less power the kick can generate. The most dangerous kicks for humans are the high kicks where there's potential contact with the head. High kicks tend to occur when a horse is kicking at another horse or when a horse is let go in turnout and they will spin and kick out. That's why it's important to have a specific protocol when you let a horse go into turnout and to make sure that they do not exhibit the kicking out behavior. Biting, horses do you have upper incisors unlike cows and other livestock and they can exert a powerful bruising bite. Most horses will pin their ears and glare before an aggressive bite, a glaire is an intense stare. Horses can mistake fingers for treats, especially those who are hand fed. Bites can be aggressive in nature and can do serious damage to humans. Some horses will bite under certain circumstances such as when they're afraid of a veterinary procedure, needle shyness is one that will often elicit biting. Pulling back, some horses do not tie well and will pull back violently when they are tied, this is dangerous for the horse and the handler and requires professional intervention. Spooking, some horses react suddenly and swiftly to noise or motion on a regular basis and create an unsafe situation for their handler or rider. This can be caused by a medical condition such as impaired vision or by a behavioral aversion to sights or sounds. Horses will spook away from what is unfamiliar towards what is familiar. A scary example of this is that a plastic bag blowing in the breeze might be less familiar to a horse than an 18 wheeler approaching along the war-road. If the horse moves away from the plastic bag towards the front end of an approaching 18 wheeler, this could be a very serious situation for the horse and the rider and it is important that trail horses are adequately prepared for what they might see on the trail. Unwanted behaviors can also show up only when larger number of horses are grouped together. If a horse feels threatened, it does not take long for the panic buttons to be pushed by the rest of the group. The horse's mindset is run first, ask questions later. Unfortunately, someone may get hurt before the questions get asked. Just as the individual horse might run you over in a panic, this herd mentality can become a stampede of panicked horses running through fences. There may be one horse in a group who feels the need to exert dominance over all the others, this will appear as herding, meaning the dominant horse will frequently move other horses away from food, shelter or the group by body-pushing, kicking, biting and pinning ears. Once this dynamic gets established, the bully may only need to send a silent signal to tell the subordinate horses to move, often a glare and the pin of the ears. This is why it is very important to observe the group and be cognizant of subtle clues of the group's behavior. We've been highlighting some common behavior problems and why they occur. There's help out there though for the apparent equine, fraidy cats, misfits and bullies. Horses are adaptable and resilient and they can learn new tasks and be retrained to address some of the problem behaviors we've been discussing. It is often worthwhile to engage the services of a horse trainer who has been trained to approach these problems and challenges in a calm, confident and logical manner. It is important to consider that many abnormal behaviors may be the result of pain, so the burden falls on the caretaker to discuss the problem with their veterinarian to rule out a physical cause of abnormal behavior before starting a retraining program. A horse that is otherwise in every way willing to please but showing some abnormal behavior associated with a certain task, is more likely suffering from pain than from a behavioral problem. Gastric ulcer syndrome is a good example of a medical condition that can cause many horses to change their behavior and display symptoms such as girthiness, biting or nipping and increased grumpiness in their daily routine. Consultation with a veterinarian is always wanted if pain is suspected. In our next and final lesson, we'll look at ways we can address some problem behaviors. See you then.
